


Waiting on Edge

by timetravellingmarauder (OkayButVoltron)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blood and Injury, F/M, Tumblr Prompt, dialogue struggle, there are some depictions of injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 07:07:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7747930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OkayButVoltron/pseuds/timetravellingmarauder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the prompt: Oh oh oh! How about a scenario where Hunk's s/o gets hurt in battle so she's put in a healing pod. And he waits at the pod every day until she's better. And when she gets out he carries her around but s/o laughs and says "babe I'm fine, really!" from tumblr user ask-ohime-seragaki</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting on Edge

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this got Out Of Hand. I wanted to have a different dynamic every day Hunk was waiting for S/O and I wanted to fit in as many interactions with different characters as possible, so this got a little bigger than the prompt may have needed... We'll see how it works out.

**Day One**

 

_“The particle barrier is damaged! We’re taking some strong hits to the ship!” Allura's voice came over the comms sounding more panicked than usual._

 

_“Paladins, we need you back towards the Castle, we can’t take them all from here. We need you to pull back. Defensive maneuvers!” Coran yelled out._

 

_“You heard them guys,” came Shiro’s level voice, “pull back, protect the Castle at all costs.”_

 

_“But what about the main ship!” Keith yelled back, “We can’t let them get away with that weapons shipment!”_

 

_“We can chase them down once we regroup,” Shiro came back, “for now, we need to protect our limited resources. Voltron, pull back and defend the Castle!”_

 

_Voltron turned and bolted back towards the Castle just in time to watch another squadron get past the Castles blasters and fire on the giant ship. “They’ve damaged the Lions bay’s!” Corans voice broadcasted over the radios, “Hurry up Paladins, or there’ll be nothing left down there to repair your lions in! It’ll take weeks for us to get back on our feet!”_

 

_Voltron rushed onward, when Hunks worried voice came over the radio, “W-wait, guys, s/o was in the Bay! She helped us load up! Coran! Is s/o safe with you and Allura?!”_

 

_“I, I’m sorry Hunk, s/o isn’t here, I haven’t seen her since she left with all of you!”_

 

_“Run a scan!” Hunk yelled, louder than anyone had heard him speak before, “Find her! Make sure she’s okay!”_

 

_“Hunk!” came Shiro’s voice snapping him out of his panic, “Focus! We need you to help us steer, we’re flagging here because your leg is out of sync. If you don’t focus we won’t get back to the castle in one piece and we won’t be able to help Allura and Coran, or s/o. Don’t panic on me. We need you.”_

 

_“R-right, okay,” came hunks reply, along with him audibly trying to calm his breathing, but then Allura’s voice came through again._

 

_“I’m so sorry Hunk, the scanners are too badly damaged down in the Bay. I can’t get a reading. I don’t know where s/o is.”_

 

_Hunks panicked breathing came rushing back, “SHIRO!” he cried out._

* * *

 

Hunk sighed and opened his eyes. The glass on the healing pod he had his forehead resting against had long since gone warm from the heat of his skin, and the floor beneath him where he sat cross legged had made him numb hours ago. But still he sat there, remembering the fight over and over. No matter how many times he thought about it, he always came up with the same result. He never could have made it back in time to help her. Rationally he knew it wasn’t his fault, knew there was nothing he could do, but it didn’t make him feel any better. It didn’t matter how many times his teammates told him the same, or hugged him and told him s/o would be fine, or urged him to rest or eat, to take care of himself. It didn’t matter. He may know that they were right, but that didn’t make the ache in his chest any easier to bear. Knowledge is one thing, _feeling_ that you could have, _should have_ , done more, is another.

 

Hunk huffed in frustration as he stood to stretch his legs, his knees creaking in protest. He had no idea how long he had been here. Hours, at least. Maybe a day. Hunk turned and leaned his back against the empty pod he had raised to sit against as he waited for s/o's to rise back up. Sliding back down to the floor, he shook his head, trying in vain to get the images of finding s/o hours earlier out of his head.

 

After hearing that Allura couldn’t get a reading on s/o Hunk reacted with single mindedness, almost pulling Voltron apart. But the team got Voltron back under control and they managed to take down the remaining Galra ships that had made it passed the particle barrier as the rest of the fleet made off into open space. They flew into the bay, waiting an achingly long time for the damaged door to open. Luckily, arriving inside they found that the air seal was still intact, but there were massive dents in the walls and support beams and equipment alike were strewn about like matchsticks. Hunk raced out of Yellow screaming for s/o. Digging through a pile of debris, he heard a cough from under a nearby beam. Rushing to it, he tried to pull it up to free s/o, but he could barely make it move.

 

“H-hunk,” came a shaky voice.

 

Frantically, Hunk looked at s/o's face. She looked so tired. There was a gash on her forehead that was still leaking blood down her face, mingling with some from her broken nose. Hunk let out a sob, and gingerly placed a palm to her cheek, “Yeah, s/o?”

 

“W-what happened? Where am I?”

 

Tears started streaming down Hunks face at her confusion, “It’s okay, s/o, I’m here now and you’re safe. We’re going to fix you up all nice and new, alright?” Turning his head to the side where the other Paladins were searching worriedly through other piles of debris, he called out “Guys! She’s over here! I can’t get her out.” Immediately his team rushed to his side.

As a team they managed to move the large support beam that had been lying partially across s/o's body. Shiro reached down to pick her up, but Hunk held out his hand, “Please, let me.”

Shiro stood to the side and instead spoke into his comm to tell Allura to ready a healing pod, and sent the other Paladins along to help.

 

Gently, Hunk picked up s/o bridal style, trying not to jostle her too much as she hissed out in pain. Once he held her in his arms he could feel how weak her normally tall, strong body was. In addition to the cuts on her face, one of her arms was totally bruised, and one leg was obviously broken where it hung at a strange angle. He let out a hushed “Oh my god,” as Shiro put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. They began the trek to the medical bay as s/o's eyes started to flutter shut.

 

“Hunk?” she asked from behind heavy eyelids.

 

“Yeah?” came Hunk’s quiet reply.

 

“Thank you. For coming back for me so quickly. I knew you’d come.”

 

Hunk hugged her as close as he could without causing her pain. “Of course, s/o. I’ll always come back for you, you know? I love you.”

 

S/o's eyes finally slid all the way shut as she finally fell unconscious, “I know, Hunk. I love, you…too.”

 

Hunk turned to Shiro as they walked along the hallway. “We need to hurry,” he said gravely.

 

* * *

 

 

Hunk shook his head again, trying to clear the memory. It seemed that no matter what he did, he couldn’t stop seeing s/o, broken and bloody under that beam. Grabbing his head roughly in his hands, he groaned. “Dammit Hunk,” he chastised himself, “you should have –“

 

“Should have what?”

 

Hunk looked up in surprise. Lance must have come into the room while he was lost in his memories. Lance walked up to him and dropped down to sit beside him against the empty pod. “Hey buddy,” Lance said, resting a reassuring hand on Hunk's thigh, “How you holding up?”

 

Hunk let out a humorless laugh and shifted his position so he could let his forehead fall to rest on Lance’s boney shoulder.

 

“That good, huh?” Lance said, giving Hunks leg a squeeze before lifting his arm around his friend's shoulders, trying to comfort him as Hunk had done for him so many times. “You know it’s not your fault, right? You did everything you could. Plus, you found her in like, two minutes even though the bay is freaking huge! Seriously, it was like some true love, the heart feels the way kind of stuff.”

 

Hunk stayed silent though. “Come on, man. You know you can talk to me, right? It’s just us here. I know you’re the one we all rely on to help us through tough times like this, but you can rely on us too.”

 

Hunk nodded against Lance, who stayed quiet, knowing Hunk was readying himself to speak. “I _know_ there was nothing more I could do, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. I feel like I should have found a way to protect her. Told her to go back to Allura and Coran after we left or something. Just- anything really.”

 

Lance let what Hunk said sit for a second and then let his head fall to rest on top of Hunks. “S/o always hangs out in the bay when we’re on a mission. She can’t sit still, so she tinkers worse than you and Pidge combined. And honestly, the Bay is pretty safe most of the time when the lions aren’t in it. There’s not much to target there. Today we took a way bigger hit there than any of us could have seen coming. But we are at war in space. We could take a big hit like that anytime, anywhere. And s/o knows that, and she’s fine with it. She believes in what we’re doing, what _you’re_ doing. And she loves you. You couldn’t convince her to get off this boat if you tried. And besides, if she heard you saying you need to protect her, she’d smack you.”

 

Hunk laughed and lifted his head back up, the spark seeming to return to his eyes a bit. “Yeah, you’re right. She would. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop. At least not until she’s out of that pod and healed.”

 

“Nah, I totally get that, bro,” Lance said, giving Hunks leg one last reassuring pat before standing and holding out a hand to Hunk. “So, what do you say we go get some grub into you? You’ve been here since we got back.”

 

At that the small smile Lance had gotten on Hunks face seemed to fade a bit as his eyes slid towards the circle on the floor where s/o's pod was hidden. “No, thanks though, man, I appreciate it. I don’t want to leave her here.”

 

Lance frowned slightly, “Alright, but I’m going to bring you some food anyway.” Lance backed towards the door and sent some finger guns Hunks way. “I’ll be back in a jiffy with some grub.”

 

Hunk just laughed, “You’ve just always gotta ruin the moment with some finger guns, don’t you?”

 

Lance just bows as he reaches the door, “I do try, Hunk.”

* * *

 

"How is he?" Shiro asked as Lance entered the kitchen and started putting together a plate of food, presumable for Hunk.

Lance shrugged, "He's Hunk. He'll be alright, but it'll take some time. He probably won't leave the medical bay until she wakes up though, so I'm going to bring him some food. Maybe a blanket and stuff. I doubt he'll even leave to sleep." Lance looked concerned even from behind.

"But you think he's going to be okay?" Shiro's voice was nervous, obviously worried for his young teammate. He had never seen Hunk as upset as he had been when they hadn't been able to get a hold of s/o on the comms.

"I think so," Lance said, his hands falling still on the counter, "He says he knows there was nothing more he could do, but I don't think that's making him feel any better. He still feels responsible for her. For all of us really. The big softy just can't take people getting hurt. He was like that back in the Garrison. We had only known each other for a few weeks and I sprained my ankle in a simulation and he freaked. He doesn't like seeing his friends hurt."

Shiro nodded thoughtfully, "I guess we'll just have to make sure he knows it's not his fault and that we still trust and value him. The safety of everyone isn't his responsibility, whether he believes that or not. I'll make sure everyone visits him and s/o a few times over the next few days. Hopefully he'll see that no one blames him."

Lance hummed in agreement as he finished putting together some food, "Yeah, he'll like seeing everyone. Hunk loves that one on one sappy shit. And we seriously don't do that much? We're always as a team so talking to people alone will definitely make him happier. Plus," Lance added as he headed towards the door, "Keith'll suck at it. It'll be hilarious."

Shiro let out a laugh as he shook his head, "I don't think you give him enough credit, Lance."

Lance just rolls his eyes, "Eh, he gives himself enough credit all the time. I gotta pull him back to the ground once in a while."

* * *

 

**Day 2**

“Hey Shiro?”

Grabbing onto to the punching bag he had been using to stop its swinging Shiro looked over to the door of the training room to see Keith walking in. “Hey Keith! I had been looking for you earlier. Where did you disappear to?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was actually visiting Hunk and s/o.”

“Oh!” Shiro said with slight surprise in his voice. He hadn’t expected it to be easy to get Keith to visit Hunk one on one, let alone finding out that he’d done it on his own with no prodding from Shiro. Maybe Shiro also didn’t give Keith enough credit sometimes, “That’s good, Keith! How was he doing?”

“Well, he was a little weird…” Keith trailed off, not sure what to say. Shiro just gestured reassuringly for him to continue as he unwrapped the tape from his hands. “He was doing push-ups when I walked in.”

Shiro stopped what he was doing, “Okay, that IS a little weird. Did you talk at all?”

“Eventually, yeah. I asked him about it and he tried to shrug it off as normal, but eventually he asked me if I would train with him more. He said something about wanting to be stronger and a better fighter.” Shiro hummed in thought, about to answer, but Keith kept speaking. “I think Lance was right when we were talking earlier. Hunk knows this whole thing isn’t his fault but he still feels a bit responsible. He thinks being a better fighter might mean he can stop this from happening to anyone else.”

Shiro nodded, “Yeah, I think you’re right. He seems to be doing well, but I think he’s actually taking it pretty hard.” Shiro paused for a second, “do you want to train him?”

Keith shrugged nonchalantly, but Shiro could see through that. He’s known Keith for a while now and can tell when he’s worried about someone. “Yeah, I’ll help him if he wants. But I don’t know what I can help with. He’s definitely way stronger than me.”

“I think Hunk puts a lot of faith in what we know about the Lions. The Red Paladin is meant to be a natural fighter who relies on instincts. I think he wants to be able to react quicker and make better decisions on the battlefield. After all, he takes the role of the Yellow Paladin seriously. He feels like he needs to protect everyone and bring the team together, which he does every day, but I don’t like how much pressure he puts on himself to do that,” Shiro frowns and sits on the bench against the wall, thinking everything over.

“You should train Hunk if you definitely both want to, but I’m going to make sure I talk to Hunk. He needs to know that he brings a lot to this team in so many ways. Voltron may be the most powerful weapon in the universe, but fighting isn’t all that this rebellion is about.”

Keith nods and starts to turn to exit the training room when Shiro keeps talking. “Hey, Keith? When did you and Lance talk about Hunk?” he asks with a bit of a smirk.

Keith just shrugged, “Lance isn’t an idiot all of the time. He can be serious sometimes. And this is Hunk, I think I can manage to get along with Lance for five minutes if it’ll help him out.”

Shiro smiled in response, “I guess Hunk really is the one that brings the team together.”

Keith just shook his head as he let out a small laugh, “I’ll see you, Shiro. Make sure you talk to Hunk.”

Shiro once again found himself looking at Keith in surprise, “Yeah, I will.” Keith leaves the training room and Shiro just shakes his head, “Since when did you get so comfortable talking to people?” he wondered. Clearly Voltron wasn’t just helping defeat the Galra, he was helping the Paladins themselves.

* * *

 

**Day 3**

“Hey, Hunk!”

Hunk sat up in surprise from where he had been lounging on the floor next to s/o’s healing pod to look to the door. “Oh, hey Pidge!” he said smiling, “where’ve you been the last few days? I haven’t seen you at all.”

“I know, sorry I didn’t come down sooner, but I was working on something,” Pidge drops a large box to the floor in between them and sits down in front of it cross legged.

Curious, Hunk reached over to open it, “What is it?” But Pidge swatted his hand away so she could open it herself.

“So, I know that you are really concerned about s/o, but I talked to Coran and Allura and they told me that she’s going to be totally alright once she gets out of the healing pod,” Hunk glanced warily towards the healing pod, looking doubtful, but he nodded anyway. Coran and Allura had stopped by multiple times over the last few days to run scans on s/o and they had told him the same each time. “So, I starting thinking about what we could do to help in the future in case one of you is ever in danger again.” Pidge opened the box and reached inside to pull out helmet similar to the ones the Paladins wear.

“What’s it do?” Hunk asked curiously. Knowing Pidge it wasn’t just a regular old helmet.

“Well,” Pidge started with her trademark grin and Hunk knew he was in for a ride, “S/o can wear this helmet -- and I’ve altered some old Paladin armor I found, so she can wear that too -- and she will be patched in to all of our comm systems -- which, really, we should have been doing all along -- but it also can connect directly with yours so you can have private conversations on the side. It also has sensors that I’m going to put in all of our helmets and armor as well that send environmental and physical feedback to the scanning system here in the Castle. That way if something damages the suits or if someone has been inactive for a long time or are giving off other signs that they could be injured it will relay back to the Castle and set off an alarm. Plus I’ve coded in some fancy Altean GPS that can only be picked up by the Castle. That way we can get real time updates on everyone’s health and position when they’re in the field. That way everyone can be safe.” Pidge’s voice quieted and the energy seemed to drain out of her. “That way,” she continued, “this might not happen again. We’ll be able to know where everyone is and if they’re hurt. And we’ll be able to keep in contact with s/o whenever we’re on a mission.”

Pidge looked up from the helmet into Hunk’s eyes. “No one should ever be left behind,” she finished firmly.

Hunk reached out to take the helmet, his eyes feeling like they were about to let tears loose. “Thank you Pidge! This is amazing!” Holding the helmet carefully, he turned it this way and that, peering inside trying to take it all in. “I can’t believe you did this in only a couple of days! You’re unbelievable!”

Pidge just smirked again, “What, this old thing? Nah, this only took me a couple of hours. THIS is the main event!” she exclaimed, reaching back into the box. She pulled out two wide rings of metal, made up of a number of smaller pieces that interlocked together creating a smooth curve. She held them out proudly to Hunk who gingerly picked one up.

“Uh, what is it?” he asked, holding it delicately between his thumb and forefinger.

“Put it on!” Pidge said, sliding the other one onto her wrist.

“Oh! They’re bracelets!” Hunk said, catching on as he slid it over his hand as well.

“They’re not JUST bracelets, Hunk. They’re _telepathic_ bracelets. You turn it on by pressing this button, here. And then, feel what happens!” Pidge pressed two fingers to the inside of her wrist, causing a few pieces of the interlocking metal plates to shift and press gently into her skin. She looked up at Hunk expectantly.

Hunk sent her a confused look, then yelped in surprise. Looking down at his own bracelet, he saw the metal plates on the inside of his own wrist press evenly into his skin. It felt exactly like if Pidge’s own fingers were on his wrist. “This- this is absolutely amazing, Pidge! How did you do this? Where did you get the parts? How are they even connected? What di--”

Pidge held her hand up to silence Hunk and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. “I just took the tech that Allura and Coran used to show our memories and altered it. I just needed the sensors from it and changed them so they would connect the two bracelets together so they act as one. There’s a small delay, but I can work on that.”

“Wait,” Hunk said, lowering his arm and staring intensely at Pidge. “You’re telling me that you took incredibly advanced ALIEN tech and _altered_ it to create something brand new?”

Pidge shrugged, “Yeah?”

Hunk laughed and pulled Pidge in for a tight hug. “You are _incredible_ , Pidge. I don’t know how you do it. You’re the smartest person I have EVER met.”

Pidge smiled and let herself relax into the embrace for a moment. “Thanks Hunk.” Then she pulled back, giving Hunk a light punch to his chest, “Alright, Hunk, let me go. I know you like that touchy feely stuff, so that’s why I made you and s/o those bracelets, but I’m super not into this. Time to let me go.”

Hunk laughed, “Alright Pidge. And seriously, thank you.”

Pidge just left him with a small wave as she headed towards the door. Her step faltered as she reached it and without turning around she said, “Are you sure you won’t come hang out with everyone for a while?”

Hunk looked sadly back towards the healing pods. The painful ache was still in his chest and the image of s/o being injured ran through his head again. “No. I need to be here right now.”

“Alright. I’ll see you later Hunk.”

* * *

 

**Day 4**

“Hunk?” Shiro’s voice quietly echoed through the medical bay, but he didn’t get an answer. Stepping further in, he was hopeful, maybe Hunk managed to leave for a few hours to clear his head and get some rest. He understood the concern Hunk felt, Shiro felt it to a degree as well. After all, s/o was a part of the team, the team _he_ was supposed to protect, not Hunk. They were all just kids, s/o included, and shouldn’t have to be fighting this war. Shiro would lay down his life to stop any of them from getting hurt. But mistakes and accidents happen in wars, and this was one of them.

Walking further into the room, he saw a strange shape on the floor, against one of the healing pods. Curious, he took a few steps closer trying to make out what it was. Eventually the lump took shape in the dimmed light of the room, and he saw Hunk. Curled up on the floor with a pillow and a blanket, snoring quietly. Shiro smiled sadly at the sight. Hunk may not be well enough to leave, but at least he was getting some sleep. He sat down next to Hunk with his back against the pod and decided to watch over him until he woke up. Shiro may not think it was healthiest for Hunk to never leave the medical bay while s/o was hurt, but he understood the pain he was in, of knowing s/o was in pain, knowing there was nothing he could do, wishing he could do more, vowing to never let it happen again. Shiro’s thoughts strayed to Matt and what he had to do in order to ensure his safety back when he was still a prisoner, and the uncertainty of whether Matt was still alive. He thought of the Paladins and the fact that they would probably all get grievously injured at some point and there was going to be nothing he, or Hunk, could do about it. He thought about Allura and Coran and how they are the last of their kind and what that means to them and the targets it puts on their backs.

Shiro sighed and rested his head back against the Pod. The uncertainty was the hardest part. He knew what Hunk was going through right now, and he’d be damned if he’d let Hunk wake up by himself in a cold, empty Medical Bay in the dark to the thought of s/o injured in a pod below the floor.

* * *

 

**Day 5**

Hunk bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited nervously behind Allura who stood at the display for s/o’s healing pod. Allura nodded and finally spoke “I think she should wake up today, Hunk.”

“Oh, thank god,” Hunk let out in a rushed breath.

“But this is, as we’ve said, not a science. I’m afraid I can’t give a more exact time frame. But yes, it _should_ be today.”

“That’s amazing, thank you Allura. So she looks alright?”

Allura tapped a few more places on the screen and smiled as she turned around to face Hunk, “Yes, Hunk, she looks perfectly healed! No lasting damage anywhere that I can see.”

Hunk smiled and his face practically lit up. “Well, Hunk, I will leave you to wait for her to come out. I have to head back to the control room,” Allura smiled as she walked away. She may still be getting used to humans and their emotional spectrum, strange habits, and weird ears, but she knew for a fact that with s/o and Hunk out of commission for the last few days the Paladins weren’t the same. Their training was sloppy, they lacked their usual energy, and they seemed to be distant. Hopefully with the return of s/o and Hunk, all would return to normal on the ship.

“Thanks again, Allura. I’ll wait here for her to come out.”

“I thought you might,” Allura said with another small smile for Hunk. “Would you like me to inform the others? Or would you like to have some time alone with s/o before they bombard the two of you?”

Hunk frowned, “You should probably let them know. It’s not fair for me to not tell them she’ll be awake today. They should be able to be here too.”

Allura paused, “Hunk, I’m sure they won’t mind giving you a few moments alone together. The two of you can always visit them once she has fully woken up.”

Hunk contemplated that option, “Alright. Let them know that she’ll be up today, but that we’ll meet them once she has her energy back.”

Allura nodded and headed to the door, “Of course, Hunk. Coran and I will find some training simulations to keep them occupied until then.”

Hunk nodded and Allura left the room, the door snicking shut quietly behind her. Hunk turned once again to look at the circle on the floor under which s/o’s pod was. Silently begging for her to come out as soon as possible. Hunk stood there for a few more moments, repeating those thoughts in his head over and over, when suddenly, the floor slid open and the pod rose up.

Hunk laughed, he should have known a/o wouldn’t want to stay in there a second longer than necessary. He practically ran up to the pod, and stood there, shifting his weight impatiently between his feet. “Come on, come on, come on,” he muttered, his hands wringing together nervously and his teeth worrying at his lip. Finally, the pod slid open and Hunk could finally look at s/o again. The smile on his face was so big it hurt his cheeks.

“Hi, s/o. How are you feeling?” he started.

S/o just looked at him in confusion for a moment, then, finally spoke for the first time in days, “You’re teeth are reeeally big, you know that?” she slurred and went to take a step forward out of the pod. She stumbled and almost fell over, her legs collapsing after days of not being used. Hunk lunged forward and caught her before she hit the floor, lifting her up bridal style in his arms. “Woah, thanks bro,” she laughed, her speech coming out a little smoother now. “I’m a wee bit shaky.”

Hunk laughed, “Yeah, and you sound a little drunk, too.”

S/o crossed her arms and pouted, “Yeah, well, you hang out in one of those pods for who knows how long and we’ll see how good you’re looking afterwards.”

“Don’t worry,” Hunk said quietly with a fond look on his face, “you’re looking good.”

S/o blushed at that and held her palm up to his cheek, “Seriously though, thank you for coming back for me, Hunk. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Hunk smiled and nuzzled his face into her hand, “Of course, s/o, I’d do anything for you.”

The two stayed silent for a few moments, drinking in each other’s presence. S/o reached up and wrapped her arms around Hunk’s neck. “Now,” she said, looking him in the eyes, “put me down. You know I can walk, right? I mean, I think I can, anyway.”

Hunk just hugged her closer, “Nope. You’re not going anywhere, yet. You need rest.”

“Hunk!” she exclaimed, “PLEASE put me down, I’m fine, I swear!”

“Nope,” Hunk repeated, but instead of continuing to bicker, he brought his lips down to hers. S/o grinned, and pushed up against him. Despite what she may be saying, there had been a few moments when she was lying injured and pinned in the Bay that she thought she may never get to do this again. So she took advantage of it now, and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling gently. Hunk moved his lips against hers and she sighed happily at the pressure as they both moved together, completely oblivious to the world around them. Eventually, the two broke apart and rested their foreheads together, locking eyes. Smiling, s/o leaned back in Hunk’s arms when something across the room caught her eye.

Staring at it for a moment, she looked back at Hunk who had a concerned look on his face. “Hunk,” she said, sounding suspicious, “why is there a blanket and a pillow over there?”

“Be--cause I didn’t want to leave you here alone?” Hunk answered with a hopeful inflection at the end.

“Are you SERIOUS? You slept here? How long have I been out? How long have you been in this room?! Hunk, oh my god, you’re ridiculous! I can’t believe you slept in HERE. On the FLOOR.”

“What?” he asked, “I really didn’t want to leave you here alone!”

S/o harrumphed back at him and crossed her arms. “You are not off the hook for that. And seriously, babe, I’m fine, really

Hunk shook his head and closed his eyes, leaning back down to rest against her forehead again. “I love you,” he whispered to her.

S/o smiled at Hunk’s actions, her annoyance at his disregard for his own health deflating quickly. “I love you too Hunk, so much. But come on!” she said, lifting her head back up to look at Hunk’s face, “do you have to carry me like this? Like some damsel in distress? At least give me the dignity of a piggyback ride!”

S/o halfheartedly squirmed in Hunk’s arms as he started to head towards the door, “Nope,” he said jokingly, “maybe I’ll put you down later. But right now, you’re stuck with me.”


End file.
